Never before has the voice of social commentary in literature sung higher. Freedom of speech has brought with it a cacophony of loudly spoken, written and sometimes harshly promoted opinion and judgement. Added to this is the rise of anti-discriminatory movements and Governmental Acts which clamour for fairness, equity and equality. An apparent discord between the two on occasion rears its ugly head, threatening workings towards peaceful solutions and human decency.
No longer is it possible, it seems, to adopt a purely neutral stance. Indeed, lack of support is oftentimes seen as evidence of a leaning towards the opposite opinion. So how is it possible to negotiate this difficult landscape in literature? Firstly, let us consider what social commentary is trying to do?
It is concerned initially with promoting awareness of issues within society, primarily to bring about some kind of change. This could be by appealing to people’s sense of justice, for instance. Often evidence is presented, or examples are given to highlight the need for change, and flaws in the status quo are presented in order to prevent these aspects of society from continuing. Still, further, persuasive language and compelling arguments are often employed to convince the other party.
As the saying goes, we have two ears and one mouth. We would be wise to listen and read without assumption, and not respond rashly. This involves truly considering and thinking about the other opinion, even if we hold strong beliefs of our own. By becoming informed about social issues we are not only acting in a responsible manner as a member of society, but we are also more likely to come to a reasonable and compassionate conclusion; one which considers all members of society and works for the benefit of all.
And if we are engaged in a personal ethical or societal conversation with another who holds a greatly differing opinion to our own? Do not become heated, agree to disagree, or if you must, simply leave the conversation. It is only by compassion and negotiation that humans, from the most powerful leaders in the world to two young children playing in a sandpit, can reach a happy medium and live in peace.
So when we consider social commentary in literature we should consider ourselves informed on a far greater level than ever before!
We work with both traditionally published and “indie” authors who have self or independently published books and our mission is simple. It’s to discover new and talented authors and help them give their work the attention and awareness it deserves. We do this by providing professional and credible reviews which are respected by our readers. Our primary focus is on fiction across all genres, non – fiction with broad appeal and selected poetry.
It’s rare that a novel leaves you glued to your seat, wanting to read it again, but Like Shadows in the Night is certainly one of them as Armon Mikal delivers a unique and cleverly conceptualised Dystopian Science Fiction Thriller.
When Jim meets Sophie, a fellow member of the liberation movement ‘The Underground’, his life begins to take on even more meaning. After a failed attempt at infiltrating the Elite leaders ends in tragedy, Jim turns to his scientific studies, specifically a porthole into other dimensions, to right the wrong.
An eye-opening look at creation versus evolution, ‘From Goo to God’ tracks many of the blindly accepted evolutionary theories, picking each apart to examine whether they deserve the widely established promotion throughout the whole educational experience of young people.
Kathleen. W . Franks has managed to capture; the kind that transports its young reader into the realms of their own imagination, complete with secret tunnels, magical creatures and a good old baddie or two!
Right from the off the mystery begins as Franks firmly hooks her readers with strong relatable characters and a gripping plot, with the shape of the novel growing and shifting naturally from her protagonist’s very first experience at his new home.
We are constantly and enduringly fascinated with fictional accounts of parallel existence, alternative realities and genetic engineering. Films such as ‘The Fountain’ present immortality as attainable, whilst books such as ‘The Book Thief’ (Markus Zusak) explore the nature of death, in this case by death himself acting as narrator.
From humble beginnings in 2002 as a book review club BookViral has grown to become the first choice in book reviews for authors around the world and one of the biggest book review sites on the web. BookViral reaches millions of potential readers through best practice SEO and a trusted social media presence ensuring readers get unbiased, critical recommendations they can trust.
BookViral also offers a full suite of author services, including, book editing services for unpublished and self-published authors, website design and bespoke SEO that help authors get discovered by more potential readers as well as industry influencers, such as publishers, agents and film executives.
© Copyright 2019 BookViral Reviews. All Rights Reserved.